Download - Emirates Diving Association
Download - Emirates Diving Association
Download - Emirates Diving Association
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
the previous day, there was a space for a wish<br />
list, and on the top I had put a Blue Ringed<br />
Octopus, which Agus found on my second dive<br />
with him. The dive resort IT coordinator, Lillian,<br />
had mentioned to him where she had seen a<br />
solar powered nudibranch and he found that<br />
too on the first dive, very impressive.<br />
First impressions though of diving the house<br />
reef were not good as you have to wade<br />
through a lot of floating rubbish, but once<br />
under the water it was a better experience<br />
even though there still is a fair amount of<br />
plastic laying around, but that applies to many<br />
of the dive sites in Lembeh Straits.<br />
There are three boat dives per day, at<br />
around 08:00, 10:45 and 14:30, dives are<br />
usually a minimum of 60 minutes, I certainly<br />
had none less than that, with my longest dive<br />
recorded at 83 minutes. Generally there is<br />
one guide to four divers, usually I was one of<br />
two photographers in the group, sometimes<br />
I was the only photographer, which was<br />
better for me.<br />
There is coral as well as muck, but it is the muck<br />
diving that draws divers to this area and the<br />
strange critters that inhabit this environment.<br />
Although the nudibranch variety did not meet<br />
my expectations (could have been the time<br />
of year or just my luck!), there were plenty of<br />
other critters around that were a joy to watch<br />
and photograph. Certainly never seen so many<br />
frogfish in any area, although I never managed<br />
to spot the hairy one during my recent trip…<br />
next time.<br />
On my last dive day, my friends and I hired our<br />
own boat and dive guide and split the cost three<br />
ways, which came to around USD58 each, well<br />
worth it in order to dive where we wanted to,<br />
plus get a bit more personal attention.<br />
Certainly another destination on my “return to<br />
list” and although I was paying approximately<br />
$200 per day, this was a bargain considering<br />
that this included my diving (Nitrox), full board<br />
accommodation and a service that some five<br />
star hotels in Dubai would be hard pressed<br />
to match.<br />
70 DIVERS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, SEPTEMBER 2013<br />
SEPTEMBER 2013, DIVERS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT 71